Toppermost
Spinning Top Music – management home of Tame Impala, Pond and many other quality acts – has launched a new record label. BOB GORDON speaks with Label And Marketing Manager, Garth Carwardine.
Spinning Top Music has had a fair bit going on in recent years, what with the continuing international adventures of Tame Impala and Pond. However, when it comes to good ideas and momentum, there’s no stopping the Fremantle-based management company, with the announcement this week that they are launching Spinning Top Records.
The new label will work in association with ADA – the independent arm of Warner Music Australia.
“We weren’t actively planning on becoming a label,” explains Spinning Top Label And Marketing Manager, Garth Carwardine. “It wasn’t until the completed albums started stacking up that we realised that something needed to happen sooner rather than later!
“The team at ADA/Warner have long been fans of the Spinning Top family and believed in our artists having the freedom to create what they want and when they want. So the partnership was easy.”
It’s an impressive album release schedule for Spinning Top over the next few months, with some label favourites making solo debuts as well as other nuggets being re-earthed.
“Each album will be released in both digital and vinyl formats, with a free download as a taster from each album,” Carwardine explains. “Already on the way is Mink Mussel Creek, GUM, Shiny Joe Ryan, Nicholas Allbrook, Peter Bibby, Felicity Groom and Allbrook/Avery. There are more in the works, but we’ll keep that news for another time.”
Until now Mink Mussel Creek’s 2011 album, Mink Mussel Manticore has been something of a rarity, as the band members went on to feature in the line-ups of Tame Impala and Pond. It’s something of an infamous, though (for many) rarely heard release.
“We’re all really excited that this album that created so much turmoil over the years, is finally getting the release it deserves,” Carwardine enthuses. “It’s where it all began with the boys, so both the band and fans deserve to have this double vinyl release in their hands!”
When asked to describe the forthcoming releases in nutshell, Carwardine is has appropriate, yet suitably oblique responses.
GUM – “Swirling-GUM-Pop.”
Shiny Joe Ryan – “Genre-Spanning-Joey.”
Nick Allbrook – “Allbeats-Allbrook.”
Felicity Groom – “Futuristic-Flic-Groove.”
Peter Bibby – “Poetry-Packin’-Peter.”
Allbrook/Avery – “Allhooks-Cavery.”
See? All up, it’s been a busy ol’ time for Spinning Top honcho Jodie Regan and her team and it only looks to go even more swimmingly from here.
“The last five years have been pretty crazy,” Carwardine laughs. “It’s been an amazing ride, to watch and to grow with. We’ve all worked hard, while having a lot of fun along the way… so I feel pretty fortunate to play a part in this always evolving family.”
